The Green Apple House

 

I'm once again joining Matilde from Craftowanie.  You probably know by now she is our host this month at Art Journal Journey.  Her theme is Houses and Buildings.  

I'm not sure if this is my penultimate or final entry this month.  It all depends on the weather because I am fighting water in my basement due to all the rain we are getting.  We got over 4 inches overnight last night and more is on the way.  We set a record for the wettest June since 1928.

Today I give you The Green Apple House.  Details are below.

 

 

I began by cutting a sheet of green cardstock into a circle.  Next, I cut both sides so it looked like the apple had been eaten.  Next, I cut and affixed the stem which I am calling the chimney.  Then it was time to stamp the apple inside the core.  That represents the door.  I then outlined the house using green dye ink.

 

Next I colored the sky blue using a watercolor pencil.  For some reason, it doesn't show on the scan.  I used a peach Posca pen to draw the ground on which the house sits.  Finally, I added a bird sticker and the words that I outlined in black dye ink.

 

I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey and share your own take on Houses and Buildings.  Thank you so very much for visiting today.

  

 

 

Ode to a tree

 

It has been a harrowing two days in my world.  First there was the golf ball sized hail that managed to do a lot of damage to the exterior and roof of my home.  There was also the torrential rain that didn't seem to stop.  Thankfully my basement didn't flood.  Then the tornado sirens went off.  Yes, a tornado was close by, but thankfully to the south of me.  Bleubeard headed to the basement, but Squiggles and I decided to watch the weather on my favorite local TV station instead.  While I was doing that, a streak of lightening hit very close to my house and knocked out the electricity.  I (and my neighbors) sat without any electricity for nearly two days until it could be restored.  Welcome to spring in Kansas!  At least you know why I haven't been around to visit.

Today I'm joining Gillena, whose blog is Lunch Break.  Her theme is Trees are Awesome, Aren't They?    

I call this Ode to a tree.  This is a mixed media entry with details below.

From left to right, I started with leftover vintage sheet music.  Next was a lovely lavender page that I messed up trying to stamp bunnies on it.  To hide my mistake, I added a piece of security envelope.  Then I stamped the tree on a piece of old book page.  I used another book page to stamp the leaf.  On the far right, I spent a lot of time dripping my handmade spray mists onto a sheet of cardstock, then messed up when I tried to stamp an image onto the piece.  When I added them all together, the failures were far less noticeable.

 

Thank you for joining Bleubeard and me for this final Art Journal Journey entry in April. 

 

 

 

 

Free shrink plastic

 

Some of you may have a much larger craft budget than I have.  But even if I had unlimited disposable income, I would still recycle shrink plastic.

Shrink plastic is expensive when you buy it in sheets, but FREE when you grab it from your recycle bin.

Supplies from back:
Large circle punch
Stamp ink, color and type of your choice (preferably solvent or Staz-on)
Plastic from your recycle bin
Stamp of your choice
Heat tool (not shown)

Not all plastic is the same.   For it to be shrink plastic, it must be #6 plastic.  Look for this label embedded in the plastic.  Much of the plastic you get will probably be #1 or #2.  Be sure yours shows the #6.  Mine came from a bakery product I bought nearly a year ago.  Whenever I get food items from a store, I check the number and save all #6 plastic.

Here's what I did.  I placed the plastic in a large circle punch and punched.  Granted, I had to stand on the punch because I have no strength for something that large.

Now that the circle is punched, I grabbed my heat gun and turned it on.   I used a chop stick to hold onto the plastic, because, just like all shrink plastic, it will curl up onto itself and tries to blow away, too.  However, just like all shrink plastic, eventually it flattens out.

That thin piece of plastic has now shrunk 

to one quarter (1/4) its original size.

It's now time to ink your stamp.

After stamping the first one, I realized I needed to use permanent (solvent or Staz-on) ink instead of slow drying pigment ink.  Regardless, you now have a shrink plastic embellishment you can use in your art.  You'll find the ones I made in the Kings and Queens Altered Book I'm making.

Today is Day 3 16 of 22 leading up to bEARTHday and I brought back a post from 2015 when I recycled #6 plastic and turned it into shrink plastic art.  I also kept plastic out of the landfill where it takes millennia to disintegrate. 
   

 

Messy and more

 

By now I'm sure you are aware that Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.

Please note, even though I read each post you share on AJJ, I STILL can't leave comments on any blog, including my own.  Yesterday I asked Blogger AI to solve the problem.  Sadly, I got no helpful information.

Today I have two altered book pages to share.

This was a disaster I turned into a floportunity.  Instead of looking for dye ink, I adhered red fluid acrylic to a wood mounted red rubber stamp.  When I didn't get the results I hoped for, I added water to the stamp.  The water turned the fluid acrylic into a watercolor.  It also dripped on the page when I attempted to stamp.

 

Because I didn't want to give up on the page, I decided to create a sentiment that I wrote using a black Posca pen.  The page buckled so badly, I decided to adhere it to my latest altered book.

 

I added a small strip of washi tape that had hearts.  Next, I will show the page I originally had planned when I started this, but I will use dye ink instead.

 

Above is the mess I made when I tried to use fluid acrylic paint on the wood mounted red rubber stamp. 

 

  Thankfully, I found red dye ink, so this is the page I originally pictured in my head when I started.  Details are below.

 

No matter how much I try, practice does not make me a better stamper.  However, it is definitely better than what I attempted on the Messy page.   Once the ink was dry on the page, I added the computer generated sentiment and the lady I colored to match the heart.  I found her in one of my magazines.  Next I laid down the washi tape on which the TH paper doll could stand.  I then adhered the paper doll.

 

Bleubeard and I are incredibly thrilled you stopped by and hope to also see you at Art Journal Journey (even though we can't leave you a comment) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone. 

 

 

 

Valentine's Day

 

As you probably know by now, Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Please be aware, however, I am unable to leave comments on any blog, including my own, even though I visit each and every link left at AJJ.   

Today we are celebrating Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine. Over time, it has evolved into a cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of love and affection in many parts of the world.  Details are below.

 

 I began by stenciling the hearts which are punchinella, also known as sequin waste, over the entire 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) cardstock using red dye ink.  I then stamped and fussy cut both stamped images. I stamped the larger Tim Holtz stamp which is by Ranger (Stampers Anonymous) several times, to no avail.

 I believe I got such a good deal on this stamp which was originally $11.99 (USD) because it had been returned to the store defective.  I didn't use any green ink or paint on the stamp.  I bought it that way.

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey (even though we can't leave comments) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.   

  

 

Bingo butterfly

 

You may have read even though I read each and every post, I can't leave comments on any blog, including my own.   I swear I've tried everything people have suggested to no avail.

Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone. 

I named this Bingo butterfly. Details are below.

 

I started with a very old heavy cardboard 4 X 6 inch (10.16 X 15.24 centimeter) bingo card to which I added various bits of torn foreign texts, sheet music, and a stamped (by me) butterfly.

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I find it hard to believe we are already starting our second week of February.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey (even though I can't leave comments) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.   

  

 

Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone

 

I would like to begin by thanking Erika for her amazing hosting skills.  Not only did she create great art, she visited everyone and commented on their posts, too.  Bleubeard and I are so proud she is a co-moderator of Art Journal Journey (AJJ) and she has picked up the slack because I can't leave comments on any blog, including my own.

I have never read any Shakespeare, nor seen any of his plays, but I once heard someone say the reason his plays were so long was because he chose to use 10 words when one would have sufficed.  Therefore, in that same vein, Bleubeard and I give you this month's theme: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.

Some may have seen this on the Art Journal Journey blog today.  Detail images are below.

 

  

 

 

People, young and old, places from ancient time to contemporary, anything any time is fair game this month.

 

  Bleubeard and I are proud to be this month's guest host at Art Journal Journey.  

 

Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook, TicTok, or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  Period! We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Finally, we do not allow back-links to any journal page published prior to the start date of this month's challenge. Hope to see you and your Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone inspired art soon at Art Journal Journey.

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.  

 

 

What's Up?

 

 Happy 2026!!!

I want to begin by thanking Sharon from "That Girl Fritchey!" for such a great job hosting in December.  We've already invited her to join us again this year to host a month.  Second, in case you haven't read, blogger is STILL not allowing me to leave comments.  I cannot seem to get rid of the dreaded "Failed to Publish, Try Again Later." Please understand I hope you realize I DO keep trying at least twice a day.  

We begin the new year with a new host as we do each month.  This is one of our moderators and my dear friend Erika who many of you know as BioArtGal.  Erika's theme for the entire month of January is What's Up? 

Erika suggested "if you want you can make pages about things that are up,
like things in the sky..."  Therefore, I went that route. 

It's obvious I named this "At the hot air balloon festival."  Details are below.

I began by coloring 110 lb cardstock using blue watercolor.  Once dry, I stamped five hot air balloons, the best of which I detailed.  I then computer generated the sentiment and outlined it using black dye ink.

Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook, TicTok, or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  Period! We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Finally, we do not allow back-links to any journal page published prior to the start date of this month's challenge. Hope to see you and your What's Up? inspired art soon at Art Journal Journey.

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of What's Up?

 

In the graveyard

 

We are joining Elle from Empire of the Cat in the graveyard. She is our host this month at Art Journal Journey.

Bleubeard, Squiggles, and I are spending time in the graveyard tonight.  Detail images are below.

I created the background using water soluble crayons.  All images were stamped, except the gravestone, which I created using a black Posca pen.  Because the background was rippled from water, I had a hard time getting the stamps to properly adhere.

Bleubeard, Squiggles, and I thank you for spending a bit of time with us today and hope to see you soon at Art Journal Journey with your own Halloween or Steampunk Halloween entry.